Something To Look 482Forward To In Education In The D

Now that the school year is back in full swing, we wanted to update everyone who has been active in 482.

First and foremost, I’m emailing to say thank you for being involved. I know you remember two years ago when DPS was spending $1200 per student on the debt and we thought the district was going to go into bankruptcy. And, certainly, you remember last year when the state was threatening to close 25 more Detroit schools.

Because you and people like you got involved, today I am happy to say that DPSCD is now debt-free and that $1200 is going directly into the classroom. The schools that the state tried to close are still open and have plans for improvement.

Did you think any of this was possible two years ago?

We’ve definitely accomplished a lot, and we have big dreams for what we can do next for our kids. 2018 is a gubernatorial election year and we need to start getting ready now. We have a couple of important events coming up that I want to get on your calendar:

On October 17, 9am-3pm, we have a Lobby Day in Lansing. This is an important event that we do a few times to year to build relationships with legislators and educate them on issues that matter to us.

On October 25, 6-8pm, we are hosting a “State of the Schools.” It’s just like State of the State or State of the Union, but for schools. The superintendents of DPSCD and the major charter authorizers in the city will be giving reports on their progress and future plans.

On November 18, 10am-3pm, we have our Fall Conference. We do this twice a year and is a time when all of our members from across the network come together, get trained, learn about education issues, and vote on new campaigns.